gifts for burnt-out home cooks (who still have to make dinner)

A kit to make Xi’an Famous Foods' 'biang biang' noodles, because slapping dough against the counter is a needed catharsis after two years of pandemic cooking.

Measuring spoons of pleasing geometry.

A jar for storing vinegar (instead of letting it brew in your heart).

Cheerful scrubbies to help in summiting what my friend Abbey calls "dish mountain."

A box of tropical fruits, for a taste of sunshine.

"A rare and amusing book about food, about those who eat it and those who prepare it." (Also available here.)

Sky plates to make any meal a little more magical.

Cocktail picks, because crafting elaborate garnishes > crafting elaborate meals.

A stylish toaster oven with the all-important "pizza" setting.

Dedicated cooking clogs, to cosplay at cheffiness.

Edible gold flakes, for making boxed mac and cheese EXTREMELY fancy.

A case of highly rated ramen, because noodle soup cures all. (Other amazing options here).

berry bowls

Handmade berry bowls, from top to bottom:

Peter Sheldon Ceramics
Isabelle Abramson
Villagers
Gus and Rami (especially charming when filled)

Related: blueberries and shooting stars.

'strawberry runners to set'

I may never be happy, but tonight I am content. Nothing more than an empty house, the warm hazy weariness from a day spent setting strawberry runners in the sun, a glass of cool sweet milk, and a shallow dish of blueberries bathed in cream. When one is so tired at the end of a day one must sleep, and at the next dawn there are more strawberry runners to set, and so one goes on living, near the earth. At times like this I'd call myself a fool to ask for more...

Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath.

Vintage Bushkina "Strawberries" Photo Postcard - 1959, Izogiz. From Russian Soul Vintage, discovered thanks to Abbey's Pinterest.

heart of winter

Susan Jane Walp: Heart of Winter Blood Orange, 2010. Oil on linen.

Found at Proustitute.